Project Management in Libraries
LIS 2971: Special Topics
Summer 2014 – 4 Week-3 Session
July 7-August 2, 2014
Instructor Information
Instructor: Karen Calhoun
Office: 234 Hillman Library
Phone: 412-228-2474
Email: ksc34@pitt.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
TA: Jessica Benner
Office: 407 Information Sciences Bldg.
Phone: 304-268-7672
Email: jgb14@pitt.edu
Office Hours: In my office: Tuesdays from 4:00
– 6:00 pm & Thursdays from 12:00 – 1:00 pm
(immediately after the class session).
Course Information
Classes: Thursdays, July 10, 17, 24 & 31, 9:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
522 Information Sciences Building
All course materials are available in Courseweb: http://courseweb.pitt.edu . Log in with your username
and password and you should see the course “2147_LIS_2971_SEC1300_SPECIAL TOPICS: PUBLIC
SERVS” in your course list. If you do not find the course in your list, please contact the instructor or TA.
Course Purpose and Learning Objectives
All types of organizations, including libraries, increasingly rely on new or redesigned services to maintain
their viability in our technology-driven, fast-changing world. Projects play an essential role in introducing
new services, but projects that are launched and implemented in an ad hoc way often do not work out
as planned or even fail completely. This course will introduce you to the discipline of project
management in a hands-on way, so that you can begin applying project management methods
immediately. Since the growth of projects in libraries is pervasive, learning the foundational skills of
project management will increase your value as a librarian.
Each class builds on the last and contributes progressively to the achievement of our course objectives.
By the end of the course you should be able to:
 Define what a project is (and is not) as well as distinguish the phases of a project
 Propose and initiate a project
 Identify the role and knowledge of a project manager
 Identify and work with project stakeholders
 Describe some processes for developing and working with project teams
 Produce a high-level project timeline and mini-work breakdown structure
 Articulate the role of project management in libraries
You and Your Classmates
This course has no prerequisites; it assumes class members have no experience with formal project
management. However, it is certain that you or your classmates have some degree of expertise
managing projects, at least informally. We suggest that you take advantage of this by getting to know
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your classmates and exchanging contact information with some of them. During the class you will often
be working in pairs or in small groups to discuss ideas or compare notes on assignments, and we
encourage you to continue this kind of cooperative work outside class.
Readings and Assignments
Please note there are two short assignments to complete before the first class session (see Schedule of
Topics and Assignments at the end of this document). Both of the required texts are available as e-books
and in print.
There are multiple readings from the following two texts:
1. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK Guide. 2013. Project Management
Institute, Incorporated.
a. Available online through Pitt via Knovel:
http://pitt.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://app.knovel.com/web/toc.v/cid:kpGPMBKPM1/view
erType:toc/
b. Available in hardcopy at Reserve Desk at Hillman Library : Call number – HD69.P75 G845
2013
2. You may also choose to purchase the book yourself from Amazon. Both online and print versions are
available.
3. Jones, Roger, and Neil Murray. 2008. Change, Strategy and Projects at Work. ButterworthHeinemann.
a. Available online through Pitt via Ebrary:
http://pitt.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/pitt/Doc?id=10569270
b. You may also choose to purchase the book yourself from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Change-Strategy-Projects-at-Work/dp/0750689447, or any other
outlet.
Handouts and slides from class are another important source of course content. These will be available
on the Courseweb site.
Please consult the Schedule of Topics and Assignments at the end of this syllabus for the specific
readings for each class, both from these two sources and others. We will do our best to upload all
readings to the course web site as reading/resource lists. It is expected that all pre-class readings and
other assignments will be completed before the class for which they are assigned.
Grading
Your final letter grade will be calculated from the following:
Best two of three quizzes at 10 points each
20 points
Worksheet proposing an idea for a small project of 10 points
your choice
Draft project charter (sections 1 to 4)
10 points
Draft project charter (sections 5 and 6)
10 points
Completed project charter (all sections)
50 points
TOTAL
100 points
Grades:
The points earned from your assignments will be added up, then converted to letter grades and grade
points in accordance with the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses
(http://www.pitt.edu/~graduate/reggrades.html), as shown below.
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A+
A
AB+
B
B-
100-98 (4.0)
97-93 (4.0)
92-90 (3.75)
89-87 (3.25)
86-83 (3.00)
82-80 (2.75)
C+
C
CD+
D
D-
79-77 (2.25)
76-73 (2.00)
72-70 (1.75)
69-67 (1.25)
66-63 (1.00)
62-60 (0.75)
F
59 and below (0.00)
The last page of the syllabus describes the grading rubric for the project charter writing assignment in
some detail. Explanations for how other assignments will be evaluated follow.
Please note that C (2.00) is the minimal graduate level attainment for a course. Course work that is
unfinished as a result of extenuating personal circumstances (grade G) will be handled in accordance
with university and/or school policy.
All assignments, except the final project charter, should be submitted at the beginning of the class
session they are due. Please bring two copies of your assignments to class – because some of each class
time will be devoted to discussing the assignments, you are responsible for bringing a second copy of
your assignment to use in the discussion. The final project charter writing assignment should be
submitted via CourseWeb under the Assignments area.
Quizzes on the pre-class readings will be given at the start of class on July 17, 24, and 31. They will
consist of true/false, multiple choice and short answer questions. The quizzes will be straightforward;
they are intended to help keep you on top of the course material and be ready to productively
contribute to class discussions and group work. Because this class is so short, and each session and
assignment builds directly on the last, it is imperative that you keep up with the readings and not get
behind.
Worksheet proposing an idea for a small project of your choice: You will receive a template
(worksheet) on which to base your proposal as well as a set of sample ideas for small projects. Your
completed worksheet is due at the start of class on July 17. The purpose of this assignment is to provide
the basis for your project charter, so please choose carefully and give heed to the completion of this
assignment. You can propose a personal or professional project. Full credit (10 points) will be given to
proposals that demonstrate your careful thought and effort to apply what you are learning to filling out
each section of the worksheet. And, because it is so important to get started by choosing your project by
the start of the second class, no proposal containing enough content to move to the next step (project
initiation) will receive less than 8 credits.
Draft project charter (sections 1 to 4): Due at the start of class on July 24. Sections 1 to 4 contain your
project objective(s), deliverables, scope and milestones. We will be using your draft charters as
foundations for working singly, in pairs and as a group during class. The intent is to reinforce what we do
in the each class and give you practice applying the concepts of project management to your project in
an iterative fashion, by working with others. Drafts that show a significant first attempt to come to grips
with the concepts and vocabulary of project management, as applied to your own project, will be given
the most credit (10 points).
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Draft project charter (sections 5 and 6): Due at the start of class on July 31. Sections 5 and 6 define
your project team and stakeholders and contain your high-level work breakdown structure. As in the
prior class, we will be using your draft as the foundation for working in class. Drafts that show a
significant first attempt to come to grips with the concepts and vocabulary of project management, as
applied to your own project, will be given the most credit (10 points).
Completed project charter: Due, via Courseweb, no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 1. This
version builds on your drafts and incorporates the changes you made to sections 1-6 based on iterative
discussion and your own review and reflection on course materials. Please see the grading rubric at the
end of the syllabus for how credit will be given for completed project charters.
Late Work, Make-ups and Other Policies
Quizzes: We will drop the lowest of three quiz scores. As a result there will be no make-up quizzes.
Worksheet proposals and draft project charters: Due to the concentrated nature of this course,
together with the fact that each assignment builds on the last and forms the basis for work done in the
next class with others, it is imperative that you come to every class and keep up with class assignments.
Those who do not are less able to engage and contribute positively to the class and support their
classmates. So please plan ahead. If you think you may miss class or fall behind in classwork, please
consult with one of us immediately, and understand that this course’s assignment due dates must be
fairly inflexible.
Completed project charter: Please contact one of us as soon as you are aware that you may need more
time to turn in your completed project charter, and in any case no later than the week of July 28. Your
request to turn in a late final assignment must be documented with an explanation and (if applicable)
relevant corroboration. Any approved late work must be turned in no later than Monday, August 4, as
grades are due August 6, and an “incomplete” (grade I) is not available for this course.
Attendance and participation*: Due to the concentrated, hands-on nature of this class, and the
significant impact of missing even one of the four sessions, please make every effort to attend all
classes. “Participating” in the course requires attending class, participating fully in discussions and group
work, and completing pre- and post-class assignments. If you think you may miss a class, please consult
with one of us immediately to discuss the matter.
*Participation in the form of attendance will be assessed in the sense that a student without the prior
agreement of the instructor to miss a class will be subject to a reduction of 10 points from the total
points earned from the assignments in the course.
Academic integrity: Students are obliged to exhibit honesty and to respect the university’s ethical
standards when carrying out an academic assignment. Those who are caught cheating on a course
assignment will receive no points on that assignment. Note we are subject to the Code of Academic
Integrity of the University of Pittsburgh. For further information see
http://www.pitt.edu/~provost/ai1.html
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Special consideration: If you need accommodations due to a disability, please notify us and Disability
Resources and Services no later than the end of the first week of class (July 11). The office of Disability
Resources and Services is located at 216 William Pitt Union (412-648-7890).
Classroom recording: To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record class
sessions without the advance written permission of the instructor.
Summary of Important Dates
When
July 10
July 17
July 24
July 31
August 1
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What








Pre-class short assignment and blog post reading due at start of class
Quiz on Jones/Murray, Marrill/Lesher, PMBOK, Sierra and Glossary at start of class
Worksheet proposing an idea for a project due at start of class
Quiz on PMBOK, Starr, Minnesota handout at start of class
Initial draft of project charter (sections 1 to 4) due at start of class
Quiz on Jones/Murray, Horwath, WBS handout at start of class
Initial draft of project charter (sections 5 and 6) due at start of class
Completed project charters due via Courseweb no later than 11:59 pm
Schedule of Topics and Assignments for Each Class Session
First session – July 10 2014, 9:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Introduction to Project Management in Libraries
Assignments to complete before class:
#1 Retrieve a copy of the University Times for April 17, 2014 and identify the articles that have
small, medium or large projects related to them. The link to the issue is
http://www.utimes.pitt.edu/documents/V46N16.pdf
#2 Read a short post to American Libraries: Revels, Ira. 2010. “Managing Digital Projects.” American
Libraries. March 10. http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/managing-digital-projects
What we’ll do in class:
Review the syllabus
Introduce project management and its core methods (lecture; also Revels 2010)
Work on recognizing a project when we see one (see assignment #1 above)
Review a handout of examples of small to medium-sized library projects
Prepare for the second session (July 17)
By the end of this class you will be able to:
 Understand the course objectives and how to fulfill them
 Articulate some reasons to use project management in libraries
 Discuss what a project is and compare it to other types of library activities
 Define the relationship between projects and strategic planning
 Describe where projects typically come from
 Describe the “triple constraint” of projects
 Distinguish the components and phases in the life cycle of a project
 Begin filling out a worksheet that proposes an idea for a small project of your choice
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Second session – July 17, 2014, 9:00-11:50 a.m.
Selecting, Initiating, and Managing Projects
Assignments to complete before class:
#1 Complete your worksheet proposing an idea for a project and turn it in at the start of class on July 17
#2 Read: Jones, Roger, and Neil Murray. 2008. “So What’s the Strategy?” In Change, Strategy and
Projects at Work. Butterworth-Heinemann. Read pages 20-26 of this chapter.
#3 Read: Marill, Jennifer L., and Marcella Lesher. 2007. “Mile High to Ground Level: Getting Projects
Organized and Completed.” The Serials Librarian 52 (3-4): 317–22.
#4 Watch and study: Sierra, Tito. 2011. “The Project One-Pager: A Simple Tool for Collaboratively
Defining Project Scope” presented at the Digital Library Federation Forum, November 2.
http://www.slideshare.net/tsierra/the-projectonepager
#5 Read: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK Guide. 2013. Project
Management Institute. Read sections 1.7 and 1.8 (role and knowledge of the project manager).
#6 Review and study: Handout “Glossary of selected terms in project management” (link on Courseweb)
What we’ll do in class:
A quiz on the readings for this class (listed above)
Worksheet proposing an idea for a project is due at the start of class
Learn how to initiate a project and produce a project charter
Explore elements of the vocabulary of project management
Learn about the role and knowledge of the project manager
Prepare for the next class (July 24)
By the end of this class you will be able to:
 Describe the purposes and components of a project charter that initiates a new project
 Define some basic terms and phrases in the vocabulary of project management
 Identify the principal elements of the role of a project manager
 Get started on your project charter using the template provided in class (the first draft –sections
1-4 – is due at the next class meeting – July 24)
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Third session – July 24, 2014, 9:00-11:50 a.m.
Stakeholders, Communication, Timelines
Assignments to complete before class:
#1 Review and study: Handout “Some sample charters of library projects” (link on Courseweb)
#2 Complete a first draft of your project charter (sections 1 to 4) and turn it in at the start of class on July
24
#3 Read: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK Guide. 2013. Project
Management Institute. Read introduction to chapter 10 (project communications; read start of chapter
up to section 10.1); introduction to chapter 13 and section 13.1 (project stakeholders; read start of
chapter up to section 13.2).
#4 Watch and study: Starr, Joan. 2010. “Managing Stakeholders.”
http://www.slideshare.net/joanstarr/managing-stakeholders-3209804
#5 Review and study: Handout - Minnesota Dept. of Health. 2013. “SMART Objectives.” (PDF
downloaded from http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/opi/qi/toolbox/objectives.html )
What we’ll do in class:
Initial draft of your project charter (sections 1 to 4) is due at the start of class
Quiz on readings for this class (listed above)
Define the roles of other key players in projects (sponsors, stakeholders)
Discuss and practice ways to identify and work with stakeholders
Explore the nature of project communications
Begin work on how to establish a work breakdown structure and high-level timeline
Prepare for the last class on July 31
By the end of this class you will be able to:
Identify and work with project stakeholders
Plan appropriate project communications
Produce and document high level project information (e.g., in a project charter)
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Fourth and final session – July 31, 2014, 9:00-11:50 a.m.
Project Teams and Project Management in the Library Context
Assignments to complete before class:
#1 Read: Jones, Roger, and Neil Murray. 2008. “Project Planning.” In Change, Strategy and Projects at
Work, chapter 5. Read pages 120-128 of this chapter.
#2 Read: Pages 7-23 of Horwath, Jenn Anne. 2012. “How Do We Manage? Project Management in
Libraries: An Investigation.” Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and
Research 7 (1). https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/1802
#3 Review and study: Handout on project timelines and WBS (work breakdown structure)
#4 Use the template provided in the July 17 class to begin drafting section 5 (an outline or diagram of a
“mini” work breakdown structure—that is, the top two levels of your project’s work breakdown
structure under the name of the project)
#5 Use the project charter template provided in the July 17 class to draft section 6 (team and primary
stakeholders)
What we’ll do in class:
Initial draft of sections 5 and 6 of your project charter is due at the start of class
Quiz on readings for this class (listed above)
Continue work on processes for establishing project timelines
Learn about types of project teams and how to work effectively with them
Discuss how project management is being used in libraries
Prepare for the final assignment (your completed project charter)
By the end of this class you will be able to:
Define some types of project teams
Describe some processes for developing a team and facilitating teamwork
Produce a high-level project timeline and mini-work breakdown structure
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Final assignment due August 1
Complete your project charter—all sections including your mini-work breakdown structure—and turn it
in, via Courseweb, no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 1, 2014.
Grading rubric for completed project charter writing assignment:
Measurement
Guidelines
Points
Completeness, accuracy
and mechanics
The level of
completeness and
accuracy in incorporating
course material; the
soundness of writing
mechanics
Maximum 50 points for
completed project
charter
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Criteria: The Completed
Charter Demonstrates…
50 points (completed charter)
= Good to excellent degree of
comprehension and ability to
apply concepts in course
materials; good to excellent
completeness and clarity with
almost no conceptual/logical
mistakes or omissions; few
structural or grammatical
writing errors.
40 points = Appreciation,
comprehension and ability to
apply most concepts in course
materials, but contains some
conceptual/logical mistakes or
omissions and structural or
grammatical errors.
35 points = Ability to apply
many points from course
materials but contains some
important
conceptual/logical/definitional
mistakes and
structural/grammatical writing
errors
25 points = Rudimentary
understanding of course
materials at best; minimal
effort and many
conceptual/logical/definitional
flaws or omissions; significant
structural/grammatical writing
errors. This is the minimum
score.